Joy of the Lord

05-10-2015Weekly ReflectionFr. Will Schmid

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Cardinal Dolan, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, in his book, Called to Be Holy, tells a story of an experience he had with Cardinal Angelo Dell'Acqua during Mass at St. Peter's Basilica while he was a seminarian. At the end of Mass, the Cardinal looked at all of the American priests, sisters, and seminarians and said, "I have a favor to ask each of you. As you walk the streets of Rome, please smile."

There is nothing worse than a Catholic who has no joy. It's essentially an oxymoron. There is nothing that drives more people away from the Church than bitter Catholics. Jesus says in today's Gospel (John 15:9- 17), "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete." Jesus desires that we live a joyful life. He wants us to radiate the joy of the Gospel to all people.

Often, a lack of joy is a sign of a lack of trust in God. If I do not believe that Jesus Christ loves me, forgives me, and has the power to transform me, then my response to God is going to be "joyless." However, if I have a relationship with Jesus Christ, if I communicate with Him on a regular basis and offer myself up to Him as a gift (without holding a part of myself back from Him), then I know that He will be there to give me the light I need when I find myself in a dark place. In a relationship with Christ, I discover that He has overcome the world and that there is nothing in this world that we can encounter that He cannot transform by His great power and love. A lack of joy is usually a sign that we doubt God's power and love.

Listen to the words of Pope Francis from his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, "One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, sourpusses." What an amazing word to describe the experience of encountering a person who lacks joy: sourpusses!

Today's culture needs to be met with bold and zealous Catholics who are filled with joy. Sourpusses do not make good instruments for conversion. We need to spend less time complaining, and more time loving and serving the Lord, confident in His great power and love.

The famous author G.K. Chesterton wrote a beautiful Catholic jingle that should be at the heart of every Catholic: Wherever a Catholic sun doth shine, There's plenty of laughter and good red wine. God grant that it be ever so, Benedicamus Domino ("Let us bless the Lord" – for those who do not know Latin).

Peace in Christ,
Fr. Will

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